Lord: Starting with Summoning the Regular Army of Earth

Chapter 74 New Crisis and Opportunity

A few days later, after intensive preparations, the two teams of pioneers and adventurers set off one after the other, carrying the hopes of the entire territory, heading towards the depths of the Wind-Eroded Highlands and the Misty Mountains respectively.

On the same day, Knight Conrad and Old Sam returned from the direction of Ironrock, travel-worn.

They brought back both good news and bad news.

The good news is that there's progress on the issue of bringing in migrants.

After making inquiries, they learned that there were a large number of refugees in the White Forest in the northern border of the kingdom.

"White Sand?" Upon hearing Conrad's report, Matthew gestured for him to elaborate.

Will also cast a concerned glance; he clearly had a better understanding of the intelligence within the kingdom.

"Yes, Your Highness," Conrad continued. "White Forest is the hereditary territory of Earl Ester, located in the north of the kingdom, near the Frost Mountains. The land is relatively barren and the climate is cold. Although it was not wealthy in the past, the people were still able to make a living. But since the old earl passed away and the cruel young Earl Ester succeeded him, the situation has deteriorated rapidly."

"In order to maintain his luxurious lifestyle and huge private guard, taxes became heavier year by year, with all sorts of levies imposed."

Two consecutive years of natural disasters have resulted in meager harvests from the local farmland.

"We've inquired, and the tax collectors there are still forcibly collecting taxes. Those who can't pay their grain or taxes are forced into hard labor, or forced to use their land, or even their children, to pay off their debts. Now, the entire White Forest is littered with corpses of the starving, and nine out of ten houses are empty. Dead bodies are everywhere by the roadside, and those who survive are emaciated, like walking corpses. Even more hateful is that some inhuman slave traders, like bald men, hover around there, buying a strong serf for a little bit of black bread, and even openly abducting destitute women and children!"

"Your Highness, this is cruel, but it is indeed an opportunity for us. White Forest is far from here, separated by Ironrock City and several noble territories, making it difficult for refugees to reach us under normal circumstances. But precisely because of this, if we can open a channel, even if it's just a small-scale, selective introduction of some honest and hardworking refugees, they will be extremely loyal to Emberstone Ridge, which can provide them with food and safety. Moreover, the Ester family is too preoccupied with their own problems to care about the life or whereabouts of a few lowly people."

"Great, we might be able to use the Black Bear Merchant Guild's channels and name to help us cover our tracks, and there's no problem that gold coins can't solve." Matthew instantly realized the key point.

"Yes, Your Highness, that is indeed a very good method. I will devise a meticulous plan on how to safely and orderly bring in refugees from Baisen. But there is one more thing—"

Conrad's expression turned grave, his brow furrowed, and his voice low: "Just as we were passing through Ironrock on our way back, we heard some bad news—southeast of Ironrock, near the Vulture Territory, a band of robbers appeared. They were quite large, reportedly forty or fifty, and apparently came from the Tully family's territory. They attacked Oak Village on the border, slaughtering the entire village, leaving no one alive. Grain, valuables, and even young women were looted, and the houses were burned to the ground."

"A bandit gang?" Matthew's heart sank. He understood why Conrad said it was bad news, because Oak Village was only a hundred miles away from their Ember Ridge, and it was also close to the wind-eroded highlands.

This means that those roaming bandit gangs could also pose a threat to Emberstone Ridge.

"Has there been no response from Ironrock City?" Matthew asked with a serious expression.

"There was a response, but it was too late. By the time the city garrison arrived, the bandits had already fled into the mountains with their loot and disappeared without a trace. The Kress family has already deployed troops to strengthen border patrols and offered a reward for their capture. However, we are worried that if the city garrison intensifies its efforts, these ruthless outlaws may be forced to flee westward and approach us."

The council chamber was completely silent.

Having just eliminated the goblin threat, Emberstone Ridge is thriving, and it would be troublesome if it were targeted by such a ruthless band of robbers.

However, Matthew is not afraid. Gunpowder has been successfully developed, and the trial production of grenades and demolition charges has been completed in the past few days. Mass production will begin soon.

The city walls are under construction, and the weapons and equipment are excellent, making it fully capable of fighting.

However, to prevent problems before they occur, they still need to make sufficient preparations and develop response strategies.

Matthew immediately convened an emergency meeting with Sun Zhengwu and other core members of the military group.

"That's the situation," Matthew briefly explained. "We must assume the worst and immediately develop a contingency plan."

Sun Zhengwu quickly formulated a preliminary plan: "The first step is to improve early warning capabilities. We can utilize the goblins' keen sense of smell, hearing, and natural ability to hide to lay out dense and concealed sentry posts within a ten-kilometer radius of the territory, thus building an early warning network."

Matthew nodded. This was indeed the best defensive measure, and of paramount importance. It might even allow them to place the battlefield outside their territory.

Sometimes, offense is the best defense.

One of the current threats is that the enemy is in the shadows while we are in the open; the enemy is waging guerrilla warfare while we can only hold our ground.

But if we can find them, then the balance of power shifts.

"Secondly, we should expedite the construction of the city walls, while simultaneously beginning the trial production of a batch of the simplest cast iron-cased landmines and large explosive charges. They don't need to be sophisticated; as long as they can detonate, they will be a huge deterrent."

"Finally, we will develop a defense plan. Once the sentries discover the enemy, we will conduct a detailed simulation of how to lure them in, how to use the terrain to ambush them in sections, and finally how to use gunpowder weapons to deliver a fatal blow to our defensive fortifications around our territory."

"Alright, raise the priority to the highest level and enter full combat readiness," Ma Zheng said solemnly.

"Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!" Sun Zhengwu saluted, then grinned. "If they really dare to come, we'll let them experience firsthand what it means to be crushed by an 'information gap' and a 'time gap'."

After the meeting, Matthew stood by the window, looking eastward.

"Crisis—also an opportunity." He muttered to himself. If these bandits really dared to come, it would just help him unlock the human gene template. A few dozen people could provide the life essence needed for dozens of new summoned units.

Thinking about it this way, the worry about the potential threat strangely transformed into a subtle expectation.

Over the next two days, the military team acted swiftly to construct a three-dimensional defense line.

At the early warning level, Song Jinyang led a reconnaissance squad to set out and, taking advantage of the goblin's natural camouflage, began to lie in wait and form a "ghost eye" network.

To avoid alerting the enemy, they even concealed their superior weapons and deliberately used the crude weapons of wild goblins, so that even if they encountered those bandits, it would not arouse their suspicion.

In terms of weaponry, Wang Qinian led his team to rush-produce simple and reliable cast iron landmines, large explosive charges, and clay pot grenades, preparing a "feast of iron and fire" for the enemy. In terms of tactics, Sun Zhengwu also formulated several plans, including a proactive war of attrition. Once the bandits' whereabouts were discovered, goblin guerrilla squads would launch an offensive to continuously deplete the enemy's manpower.

It would be best to drive them away or eliminate them completely. If they do come to Ember Ridge, then what awaits them is a "pocket" tactic from which there is no return.